[Success] GIGABYTE Z370 Gaming 7 + Intel Core i7-8700K + RX 580 + (2x) Dell P2715Q 4k @ 60Hz

[jiffyslot]

Hi @jiffyslot, if you mean do the config.plist contain my USB patches, NO. Any USB patches to increase to the 26 Port limit do not work ATM with Mojave 10.14.1 (unless the developers have created another patch since I last looked).


The FB Patcher app produces a USBPorts.kext that patches the USB ports. It has to be put into your /EFI/kexts/Other directory. It does not need Lilu.kext to operate. You also have to remove any USB patch in your config.plist and also remove USBInjectall.kext as well.

I will attach my USBPorts.kext with my 4 internal USB2 ports marked as internal. This should enable you to have fully working USB2&3 ports. I haven't tried this on anyone else's mac, and really you should use the FB Patcher app to do it for your self. If you do use mine test that it recognizes all your USB devices. You can use the System Information tool's USB section to see the details of what the system is recognizing USB wise. If you press the CMD & R keys it will refresh the info displayed, which is useful once you have removed or reinserted another USB device when checking.

NOTE: Always run the following commands after removing or adding any kexts to your /Library/Extensions directory.

sudo touch /Library/Extensions
sudo touch /System/Library/Extensions
sudo kextcache -i /

Thanks again for that. I haven't used FB Patcher yet. Still trying to find a PCI/Thunderbolt patch. –It's probably a dead end: Thunderbolt fixin' has been going on for years without much progress. Too much secret sauce in that connection/bus.

Okay, so I think the reason I'm getting around this USB blockage and having no USB issues at all is because I'm only running USB extension cables to two powered USB hubs. I haven't written a patch and everything is going well. -Except that when I boot into Clover on my Mojave SSD and (I have a High Sierra setup on on SSD and Mojave on another, each is a UEFI boot option in BIOS) select Mojave, I get a black screen with no apparent boot, so I bail with the reset button and boot into Clover v4630 on the High Sierra SSD, then select Mojave as the OS boot disk. Same EFI config.I've even reinstalled Clover onto the Mojave SSD from the internals of MultiBeast. Cleared in Clover with F11, too. Strange stuff.

This setup of Mojave was cloned back from the original APFS to an HFS+ volume. Pro Tools is working with the Apollo 8 Quad: Here's a screen shot full of stuff: FWIW, the session is 32 bit float at 44.1 KHz. Just want to show the intended @HackaShaq build is mostly doing what it's supposed to, except that I'm hosting everything on one machine.

 

[jb007]

One RX580 work out of the box, but when I add an other one, Mac OS load and freeze just before the system starts...

@Thirrouard, have you booted using 'verbose mode' and also 'don't reboot on kernel panic' on in the Clover boot menu. Press space bar and you will see these options, enable them and then select the boot with these options (I'm doing this from memories my main Mac is down ATM as I'm de-lidding it, so descriptions might be a little off). try and take picture or what ever.

Other things you can do are:
1. At clover menu clear your NVRAM by hitting F11, this will cause a reboot;
2. In the BIOS there is an option for 'enable above 4G decoding, turn it on if all above don't work.

It's hard to debug without information. So try and get some info by using the verbose mode above.

Jim

Hi Thirrouard, I've just been going back on my posts and have noticed in your profile that it says you are running a Mac Pro 4,1.

My reply to you was based upon running this golden build on a 'Hack'. If that's what you are trying to do, would you update your build and profile with your hardware configuration, please?

If you are on a real Mac, then you are in the wrong place!

If you have resolved your issue, could you give feedback on what it was so it may help others in this thread/forum.

Jim

 

[jb007]

Thanks again for that. I haven't used FB Patcher yet. Still trying to find a PCI/Thunderbolt patch. –It's probably a dead end: Thunderbolt fixin' has been going on for years without much progress. Too much secret sauce in that connection/bus.

Okay, so I think the reason I'm getting around this USB blockage and having no USB issues at all is because I'm only running USB extension cables to two powered USB hubs. I haven't written a patch and everything is going well. -Except that when I boot into Clover on my Mojave SSD and (I have a High Sierra setup on on SSD and Mojave on another, each is a UEFI boot option in BIOS) select Mojave, I get a black screen with no apparent boot, so I bail with the reset button and boot into Clover v4630 on the High Sierra SSD, then select Mojave as the OS boot disk. Same EFI config.I've even reinstalled Clover onto the Mojave SSD from the internals of MultiBeast. Cleared in Clover with F11, too. Strange stuff.

This setup of Mojave was cloned back from the original APFS to an HFS+ volume. Pro Tools is working with the Apollo 8 Quad: Here's a screen shot full of stuff: FWIW, the session is 32 bit float at 44.1 KHz. Just want to show the intended @HackaShaq build is mostly doing what it's supposed to, except that I'm hosting everything on one machine. View attachment 362770

Hi @jiffyslot, when I've had my TB card in, it never has always shown "No Drivers Loaded" message in the System Information app.

The Intel Power Meter app 'GFX' sitting at 0.00 means that whatever processes are running, none are using the Intel iGPU UHD630 (the one in your CPU). You need an app like HWMonitor or iStat Menus that will show what is happening with your RX 580 (GPU).
Not knowing the audio apps, I don't know what GPU they are using. Also, have you set up your iGPU properly in 'Headless' mode? Sometimes it will show the iGPU but if it's not set up correctly, then you get 'nada'.

The screenshot below is from MacX Video Converter Pro, converting a 4K HEVC to HD H264 video. It uses the iGPU to help it to re-encode... notice the GFX clock up. Scrubbing in iMovie also uses my iGPU, and playing it definitely uses my RX 580, see screenshot.


What I don't know is if either GPU's take some of the load off the CPU in encoding or decoding audio. If you can find out, and if they are then you could investigate further maybe in another thread specific to pro audio use. Also if you don't already have it, install an app to monitor your RX 580 to verify if it's being used in your audio work.

Jim

 

[EdwardVH]

Yes it forces APFS. See my post a few back. Sorry at work atm.

I've gone back to APFS... may as well just stick with it. Instead of RAID 0 , I might buy a fast m.2 drive. Somehow that seems to be as fast as a normal RAID 0 SSD setup from what I can see. Any recommendation for a good m.2 drive?

P.S. geekbench did not change when I upgraded to 10.14.1. Same performance on GPU. Can't check metal, I'm only in demo mode.

 

[jiffyslot]

Hi @jiffyslot, when I've had my TB card in, it never has always shown "No Drivers Loaded" message in the System Information app.

The Intel Power Meter app 'GFX' sitting at 0.00 means that whatever processes are running, none are using the Intel iGPU UHD630 (the one in your CPU). You need an app like HWMonitor or iStat Menus that will show what is happening with your RX 580 (GPU).
Not knowing the audio apps, I don't know what GPU they are using. Also, have you set up your iGPU properly in 'Headless' mode? Sometimes it will show the iGPU but if it's not set up correctly, then you get 'nada'.

The screenshot below is from MacX Video Converter Pro, converting a 4K HEVC to HD H264 video. It uses the iGPU to help it to re-encode... notice the GFX clock up. Scrubbing in iMovie also uses my iGPU, and playing it definitely uses my RX 580, see screenshot.
View attachment 362796 View attachment 362798

What I don't know is if either GPU's take some of the load off the CPU in encoding or decoding audio. If you can find out, and if they are then you could investigate further maybe in another thread specific to pro audio use. Also if you don't already have it, install an app to monitor your RX 580 to verify if it's being used in your audio work.

Jim

Unfortunately, audio processing can't "cheat" using GPU -something to do with serial-based processing vs. spatially-based processing: I don't know if it is theoretically even possible, but if someone cracked that nut, they'd probably win a Nobel Prize in physics or math –or at least an Oscar technical or AES award. As I understand it, really efficient serial processing is what makes low latency in a multitrack system so expensive. I'll get a meter and check it. The Bruce X text for FCPX with this @HackaShaq build passed in 2 seconds three times. Which means either I did a good job or I've completely missed it.

FWIW, although I like the look of Mojave better (dark mode), the updated High Sierra is really great on this machine.

 

[jiffyslot]

I've gone back to APFS... may as well just stick with it. Instead of RAID 0 , I might buy a fast m.2 drive. Somehow that seems to be as fast as a normal RAID 0 SSD setup from what I can see. Any recommendation for a good m.2 drive?

P.S. geekbench did not change when I upgraded to 10.14.1. Same performance on GPU. Can't check metal, I'm only in demo mode.

There have been some great deals on the NVMe 970's. I have a 500GB one sitting in the SATA0 slot under the GPU. It's insanely fast, and makes my other internal SSDs seem slow. Just so you know, it'll change things the way going from spinners to SSD changed things speed wise. I have have a lot of SSDs. I'll probably only buy NVMe-types from now on. They're that great:

Before:


After:

 

[EdwardVH]

There have been some great deals on the NVMe 970's. I have a 500GB one sitting in the SATA0 slot under the GPU. It's insanely fast, and makes my other internal SSDs seem slow. Just so you know, it'll change things the way going from spinners to SSD changed things speed wise. I have have a lot of SSDs. I'll probably only buy NVMe-types from now on. They're that great:

Before:
View attachment 362823

After:

View attachment 362824

Hey Jiffy, is that the EVO 970 normal or pro version?

 

[jiffyslot]

Hey Jiffy, is that the EVO 970 normal or pro version?

Normal.

 

[EdwardVH]

Hey guys... on Mojave, what are you guys using to read/write NTFS?
I used to use an ancient version of Fuse on my old 10.10.5 system, and it worked great. I see issues with the current versions.

Any recommendations?

 

[jiffyslot]

Hey guys... on Mojave, what are you guys using to read/write NTFS?
I used to use an ancient version of Fuse on my old 10.10.5 system, and it worked great. I see issues with the current versions.

Any recommendations?

I there's a driver add-on page for APFS in Clover Configurator. IDK which target drive you're supposed to pick other than the system drive.



I haven't yet tested it to see if it will mount my Windows volume properly.